On the Rise in Urban Illinois
RED FOXES HAVE MOVED TO CITIES IN SEARCH OF BETTER LIFE

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. -- Americans are seekers of opportunity, always on the
move. The same appears to be true with red foxes in Illinois – many have
left the country in search of a better life.

In recent years, red
foxes have set up housekeeping in urban and people-centered areas in
Illinois, mainly to escape coyotes that prey upon them, and to feed upon
abundant cottontail rabbits found there. As coyote numbers have
increased in rural areas, foxes have moved out. A person might see a fox
pouncing on mice in Chicago’s grassy fields or along the outskirts of
Peoria or Springfield. A farmer could find young foxes sunning
themselves near a den under his barn.

Dr. Todd Gosselink
conducted biological studies through the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign to answer a nagging question, “Why don’t people see as
many foxes in rural areas nowadays?” His studies were financed through
the Illinois State Furbearer Fund, which receives money from sales of a
state habitat stamp as part of a trapping license. The studies also
were funded through the University of Illinois.

“We found that foxes,
which typically live in wild areas and fields, have become more abundant
around human communities, away from coyotes,” Gosselink said. “Foxes are
abundant, but they are losers in the competition with coyotes for food
and territory. Coyotes don’t hold to the notion of live and let live.
They kill foxes because of competition, not for food. But don’t blame
coyotes; that simply is the way of nature.”

As many as 30 years ago,
coyote populations were low due to now-defunct eradication programs.
Coyotes have proliferated since then, moving from the western U.S. into
eastern habitat where wolves used to be. Like foxes, coyotes are
adaptable and can live almost anywhere.

“Coyotes are the bigger
kids on the block,” Gosselink says. “We learned that coyotes killed half
the fox kits we studied and as many as one-quarter of adults. When
populations change or fall, people often look to blame trappers and
hunters. The truth is that trappers and hunters care about wildlife, and
their activities are highly regulated. Most wildlife populations produce
a necessary surplus that can be taken by people or other wildlife
without harming overall populations. A second truth is that nature is
harsh.”

Foxes reproduce at a high
rate because their mortality is high. Fox litters typically contain six
to eight young and as many as 14, but about 75 percent of fox kits and
66 percent of adults won’t see a new year. Coyotes have a big impact,
but automobiles, disease and loss of habitat also take a toll.

“Trapping and hunting
have little effect on fox populations,” Gosselink said. “In fact,
trappers helped us conduct our fox studies. They were instrumental to
the effort.”

Gosselink applauds his
team of trappers who used foothold traps to catch foxes for his study.
Foothold traps with teeth were banned years ago, and trappers frequently
check trap lines to avoid an animal being held in a trap for too long.
“Our foxes showed almost no injury,” Gosselink said. “The trappers did
an excellent job. Few people know that when we conduct wildlife studies,
foothold traps are used to capture animals with minimal trauma. Only
one-half of one percent of captured foxes showed signs of major stress
due to foothold traps.”

Life is better for foxes
in the urban and suburban areas; immediate threats are muted. Foxes
often eat better, because, surprisingly, more rabbits can be found in
urban places, compared to some rural areas where habitat has declined
due to row crop agriculture. Foxes adapt easily to fragmented habitats
altered by human activity. They can survive on a variety of foods,
ranging from rodents to insects and nuts, making them more flexible than
other species.

“Trappers and hunters are
encouraged to legally harvest coyotes and foxes in rural areas,”
Gosselink says. “If farmers and rural residents want to increase fox
populations in places where foxes are likely to live, they should make
sure that habitat exists for rabbits, a main food source. Farmers also
can avoid mowing fields at certain times or improve habitat so that
rabbits and foxes gain better stability.”

Both foxes and coyotes
provide unseen benefits to farmers and urbanites, keeping rodent
populations at minimal levels. Gosselink mentions that “one farmer found
skunks living under on old abandoned farm house, and a fox family moved
in and pushed out the skunks. The farmer was quite pleased to have the
foxes around instead of skunks.”

People should relish the
opportunity to see foxes in urban and suburban areas, and not worry
about living closer to them. “ ‘Closer’ is a relative term,” Gosselink
says. “Foxes might live under a barn or in a nearby field, but they are
shy and secretive. You’re not likely to find one sitting on your back
steps. A constant rule of thumb is to stay safely distant from any wild
animal, and not attempt to handle fox adults or kits. Also, it is
important to report to a conservation officer when you see strange
behavior that might indicate an animal is sick, since foxes occasionally
contract rabies.” Farmers with fowl can predator-proof chicken houses
and other similar structures. Gosselink adds that house pets are safe
since the diminutive foxes, weighing 10 to 12 pounds, will flee from a
fight.

“Foxes feel the same way
as many people feel toward them,” he says. “They don’t mind living near
you, as long as they can keep at a safe distance.”

For information on foxes
in Illinois, or ways to improve fox habitat, contact Illinois DNR at 217-782-6384. Learn more about red foxes by visiting
the Fur Hunting and Trapping in Illinois website at
dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildlife